Family course for children with heart disease
The family course for children is suitable for children
- who have been diagnosed with heart disease, e.g. a congenital structural heart defect, severe arrhythmia or a cardiac muscle disorder
- whose disease makes it possible to participate in rehabilitation arranged as a course.
Use the course search to look up when courses are arranged
Use the search term “sydän+lapset”. Please note, the service is in Finnish and Swedish only.
Rehabilitation is arranged for the following target groups:
- children under school age and their families
- children in primary school and lower secondary school and their families.
Purpose of the course
The aim of the course is to provide comprehensive information and guidance for children and their families and to help them live a full and meaningful life despite of the illness. Rehabilitation is also a way of strengthening the family’s resources and life management skills as well as a means of providing support for the families and their support networks. It also provides opportunities to meet other families that are in a similar situation.
Content of the course and implementation
The rehabilitation is implemented as group rehabilitation taking the children’s and their families’ goals and individual needs into consideration.
The course includes group discussions and working in small groups, a variety of activities as well as interviews, meetings and discussions with rehabilitation experts.
The rehabilitation sessions are held on the service provider’s premises. The rehabilitation lasts 5 days.
The family of the child accompanies the child throughout the rehabilitation. 1 to 2 adult close relatives and up to 2 siblings participate in the family course. If the number of siblings wishing to participate in the course exceeds this, Kela will contact the service provider in order to decide and agree on practical matters and make sure that there is sufficient room for all. The family can stay overnight at the place of the rehabilitation or travel there from home every day.
The service provider will contact the family before and after the rehabilitation.
Course personnel
The course is implemented by the following experts:
- specialist in children’s cardiology
- registered nurse or public health nurse
- physiotherapist or exercise instructor
- psychologist
- social worker, Bachelor of Social Sciences, special needs educator or Master of Social Sciences (major subject rehabilitation science).
Depending on the family’s individual needs, other rehabilitation professionals may also take part.